Heat-protecting means for expansion tanks of hydrocarbon-refining apparatus



Y `COLLINS Y HEAT PROTECTING MEANS Y*FOR*EXPANSION TANKS 0F Jan. 3, 1921s.`

HYDROCARBON REFINING APPARATUS l Filed March 24. 1326 'llllllllllllld 'lllllllllllllll atkolmmf atented dan.` 3, 1928.

'iran STATES vMTENT oFFIca.

RUSSELL K. COLLINS, F FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO COLLINS PROCESS, ING.,

4 OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HEAT-PROTECTING MEANS IOR EXPANSION TANKS OF HYDROCARBON-REFINING AFPARATUS.

Application filedA March 24, 1926. Serial No. 97,120.

19 sion apparatus for the refining of hydrocar.

bon materials, such as is set forth in my copen-ding application Serial Number tiled lation tray for protecting the bottom head of the expander tank, the same preferably being detachable and located between the fire box and expander tank as to permit.

flow of the heating medium from the fire box to the expander tank, without obstruction, and so as to permit the thorough heati ing of the hydrocarbon vapor in the expander tank, to 'convert the same according to the process set forth in my copending ap# plication Serial Number 563,136, filed May 23,1922. n

Other objects and advantages of this in-v v vention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming `3o a part of this specication, and wherein similar reference'characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views- Figure l is a fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinally through the expander tank, showing the same mounted upon a fire box, in relation to a converter unit, and with the detachable insulation' tray located between the converter unit and the expander a0 tank for protecting the latter from deteriorating effects of heat.

Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken substantially on their respective lines in Figure 1 of the drawing.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate a fire box or housing, upon which the expander tank B may be mounted in any approved manner, with the converter unit above the heating compartment of the fire box, so that products of combustion may 561,925, May 18, 1922, and embodying an insu- C located therebelow and heat the fluids of both the converter C and tank B. The improved protector means D is used in connection with the expander B, below the same, and preferably above the converter unit C, for protecting the bottom wall of thevexpander from the deteriorating effects ofthe heating medium.

The fire box housingA may be of any approved character, and preferably includes the compartment 10, in which t-he heat may be generated, or thru which the rheat may be passed for heating the units B and C. In the form of invention shown, the housing A includes the.` expander tank supporting base 15, which is of frusto-conical formation, and at the upper edge thereof may have an annular supporting flange 16 of any approved character.

The converter un't C is of that type set forth in my copending application Serial Number561,925, filed May 18,1922, and has been described in that application. Suffice to say, it is mounted upon a horizontal axis across the base 15, above the heating compartment 10,' and certain hydrocarbon prod` ucts and other fluids are passed longitudi' nally thru the converter C, from one end to the other, and therein befng subject to the heating medium are vaporized, and the vapor therefrom passes upwardly through a vertical conduit 17, which enters the bottom wall 18 of the expander tank B, and in the expander tank compartment 19 directs these vapors into intermingled relation with the hydrocarbon vapors otherwise entering the tank B.

The expander casing or tank B is preferably of the vertical type, including a cylindrical body 25, provided with a preferably flat bottom wall 18, which may be secured to the body 25 in any approved manner. The tank B valso includes a top wall or header 27, and the vertical heat conducting flues or tubes 28 are arranged longitudinally between the bottom and top plates 18 and 27, for the conduction of the heating medium from the fire box into the exit trap or compartment 29 at the top of the expander tank. Normally, a vapor enters the tank B through an inlet conduit@ at the lower part of the tank, and the hydrocarbon vapors .thus entering the tank compartment 19 are subject 'to certain thermic and memay be used, bolted asat 36 to the base 15. This construction, however, may be altered, since it is contemplated tomount the expander tank on'a lire box made of fire.

bricks, and the converter unit 'C may be directly supported by said -re bricks in vlieu of providing the metalbase 15. y

In connection with the mountingf'of the iius 28, it isto be noted that certain openl v ings 40 may be'provided in the bottom plate 18, havingannular flue abutting flanges 41 projecting therein, and upon which the lower ends of ilues 28 may rest. These annular shoulders 41, 'as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, are provided in the passageways 40 between the top and bot-1 -tomsurfaces 42 and 443 respectively of the plate 18, and so that-certain short bottom lines 45 may also enter the lower ortions of the pa's'sageways- 40 to be seate in the plate 18. i

The protecting means D fory the base plate 18 of the expander tank preferably for destruction of the same.

includes an insulation plate or tray 46 which may be of disk shaped formation, an

is preferably detachably supported in a plane parallel with the plate 18, below the plate 18, b means of stay bolts 47, of any" approved character, which may have a leak proof connection with the bottom plate 18 ofthe tank B. These stay bolts 47 upon tightening will draw the detachable insula,

tion plate 46 upwardly into abutment at its peripheral edges with the base 15 of the fire box, to provide an insulating compartment 50 between the plate 18 and the insulation' plate 46, so that the heating medium cannot play directly upon thev late 18 Soc ets 49 are provided inwardly of theupper surface 51 of the insulation tray 46, adapted to receive the lower ends of the short tlues 48 above mentioned. The pockets 49 are of course provided with annular shoulders 52 upon which the flues 45 are supported. The passageways 55 of the flues 45 are of course communicative with the fire box compartment 1.0, below the plates 46, and these flue passageways 55 align in communicatingvrelation with the passageways 60 of the vertical expander fiues 28, so that the heating medium may ass unobstructed upwardly from the lire ox 10, by the converter and through the flues 45 and 28 in order to thermally act on the products in the expander B. y

From the foregoing description 'of this l invention it is apparent that a novel type of insulation tray has been detachably provided in connection with an expander tank, so

as .to permit the unobstructed passage of. heating (medium through iiues provided from the lire box to the expander, in order to carry out the objects of the invention `'set forth in my process application second' above referred to.

a double bottom with the iu'es 28 extending` below the top plate through the insulating space 50, and thus do away with the short l individual flues 45.

Various changes'in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be madel to the If desiredl the tank B may be made with form of invention herein shown and' de- ',scribed,"without departingv from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

I y claim v 1. In hydrocarbon refining apparatus a re box including a heat compartment, 'an

expander tank supported on the fire boxincluding a bottom .wall facing' the compartment, a removable plate'supported in spacedvv relation between the bottom plate of the ex pander tank and the heat compartment of the lire box and fiue tubes extending through said space f expander tank.

opening at their ends through said top and bottom plates,` a fire box including a'heat or directing the products of com bustion ofthe heat compartment through the 2. In an apparatus of the class described an ex lander tank including a body construccompartment, means supporting lthev tank' over said heat compartment with the bottom x plate facing in the direction of theheat compartment, land removable heat insulating means between the fire box compartment and the Ibottom plate'for protecting the latter, said means including ways for directing the heat medium of the heat compartment through the lues of said expander.

3. In an apparatus of the class described a iire box including a heat compartment, an expander tank including a bottom plate and providing a compartment through `which ilues extend from the bottom plate and having inlet openings through said bottom plate, a removable insulating tray, means detachably connect-ing said tray to the bottom plate lin spaced relation therewith above the heat compartment of the iire box, and heat conducting iiues extending between the insulating plate and bottom plate of the tank for directing products of combustion from the sof.,

- spaced relation therein having I exteriorly of the compartment of the shell,

means'for passing a hydrocarbon vapor into the lower end of the shell compartment and causing it to exit at the upper end of said compartment, heat insulating means for the lower end of said shell, and means extending thru said heat insulating means for caus-4 ing heat to travel thru said flue passageway.

5. In hydrocarbon reiining apparatus the combination of a furnace, a substantially cylindrical shaped shell having a compartment therein and including top and bottom walls, tubular iiuesconnectedin the to and bot-l tom walls and extending thru sald shell in passageways therethrough opening exterior y of the ends of the shell, a supporting casing ksupported on the furnace, spaced insulator walls in said casing providin `a dead air vspace therebetween, ,means to c amp said shell on said casing, and auxiliary flues carried by said casing having sealed connection with the passageways of the ues of the shell, said auxiliary iiues having assageways. aligning with their respective ue passageways of the shell for conveying. products of combustion from the Jfurnace into the respective flue passageways.

6. In hydrocarbon retinin upright tank including a ottom having tubes extending through the tank opening on said bottom, a skirt connected with the tank extending below said bottom, an insu- `lation plate Spacedbelow said bottom, and 40 Hue tubes extending thru said insulation plate and space to said bottom having passageways for directly conveying products of combustion lfrom below the insulation plate into the tube passageways of the tank, said space between the tank and insulation, plate being a sealed dead air space.

7. In hydrocarbon refining apparatus a vertically "disposed expander tank having a horizontal bottom, said tank having ipes extending therethrough opening on s'aifbottom, the bottom being provided with openings thru which said pipes extend, a skirt connected with the tankextending therebelow, an insulation plate in said skirt in Sealed.

abutment with the inner surfaces of the skirt in spaced relation below the bottomof' said tank providing a dead air space between the bottom of the tank and said skirt, and flue tubes extending across said Space having passageways opening below the insulationA plate and directly into the passageways of the pipes of said tank.

RUSSELL K. COLLINS.

apparatus an 35 

